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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

ROCKIN' WATER™ ROCKS THE APPALACHIAN AREA OF KENTUCKY TO HELP KIDS IN NEED

Old Greenwich's own ROCKIN' WATER™ is heading to Kentucky the week of March 23 to donate ROCKIN' WATER and provide nutritional information to kids and their families

Here's how to help:ROCKIN' WATER will also accept donated items, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste and school supplies (notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, markers, calculators, etc.). If you would like to donate these items, please place them in the ROCKIN' WATER barrels at Arcadia Café or Upper Crust Bagel Company in Old Greenwich prior to March 19.

Monetary donations are also welcome (see provided jar at Arcadia Café & Upper Crust Bagel Company) and will be presented to two worthy organizations:Eula Hall's Mud Creek ClinicThe David SchoolROCKIN' WATER™, the revolutionary new vitamin enhanced flavored water for kids, is pulling out all the stops and bringing ROCKIN' WATER directly to kids in the United States that could benefit the most from ROCKIN' WATER'S vitamin and mineral infused flavors - the Appalachian area of Kentucky. During the week of March 23, 2009, ROCKIN' WATER and a group of ROCKIN' WATER employees and volunteers, will travel to Kentucky to visit several schools and health clinics in the rural Appalachian areas to hand out bottles of ROCKIN' WATER and educate children and their families in the area about healthy nutritional choices, including beverages.

Why Appalachia?It is easy to associate extreme poverty with other countries, far away from America, forgetting the fact that poverty is very much a reality for some children and their families, here in the United States. The recent report on ABC-TV's "20/20" show with Diane Sawyer, titled "A Hidden America: Children of the Mountain," illustrated life in the Appalachian Mountain areas of eastern Kentucky. The show instilled an immediate need to help these children and their families who live in unthinkable conditions, going without many items that Americans take for granted, like clean water, food, proper medical care and school supplies and personal hygiene items. These people live in an area with three times the national poverty rate, and the shortest life-span in the nation.

Amy Guerrieri, an Old Greenwich resident and mom, saw the show and immediately committed to finding a way to help these desperate families. Together, with some of her ROCKIN' WATER co-workers and volunteers, Amy will travel to Kentucky to personally visit some of the neediest schools, health clinics and families in the rural Appalachian area, working directly with the public schools and the Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) to create a ROCKIN' WATER on-going donation program to help provide a healthy and nutritious alternative to the children of that community.

“After a comprehensive review, Greenwich High School’s Head Coach for the Boys Varsity Lacrosse Team, Paul Burke, has been suspended as Coach for two weeks following his arrest on a charge of driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI). A number of stipulations have been specified in a ‘Last Chance Agreement’ that must be adhered to upon Mr. Burke’s return from suspension. The Agreement requires a meeting, as was conducted on Monday night, for Mr.Burke’s lacrosse players and their parents to acknowledge the incident and to share with them the consequences for his actions.

In addition to and among other stipulations, Mr. Burke will donate the entirety of his coaching salary for this year to a victim rights advocacy group and he will volunteer his time with the Red Cross Safe Rides program as an adult supervisor. While we do not condone the behavior that led to Mr. Burke’s arrest, he has taken responsibility for his actions and we expect that he will abide by the terms of the agreement and all State laws.”

.....Burke was arrested in August 2008 by Darien police after he slammed his car into a stone wall in that town in June, according to police. He has not been convicted.....

.....Burke crashed his 2005 BMW into a stone wall on Middlesex Road in Darien at 2:37 a.m. June 15, 2008, police said. There were signs of intoxication, including the odor of alcohol, when police arrived at the scene, Captain Fred Komm said.

Burke was taken to Stamford Hospital for injuries sustained in the crash, police said. Police obtained a warrant for his medical records on July 9 to determine his blood alcohol content, which, according to Komm, was "significantly over the limit." Komm declined to release the level, but noted that it was above 0.2. The state legal limit is .08.

Burke was arrested by warrant on Aug. 3, 2008. He has since appeared in court and is currently on the list for a jury trial, according to his Greenwich-based lawyer, Eugene Riccio......

COMMENT:

Some Greenwich Parents Are Saying That Coach Paul Burke Is Going To Trial In An Effort To Avoid Jail Time Because Of Previous Criminal Arrests.

Coach Burke's Lawyer, Eugene Riccio, Is Very Sharp, Because In The So Called "Last Chance Agreement" He Negotiated With School Officials Will Protect His Teaching Job If He Relapses Once Again.

Burke will be back to coach in April so long as he complies with all the stipulations of the agreement, which additionally restricts him from consuming alcohol and requires him to undergo weekly counseling sessions.

If Burke fails to comply with the agreement, he will be required to resign as head coach, but will still keep his teaching job and still have contact with children.

Paul Burke, His Lawyer Or School Officials Are Welcome To Provide Comments To This Blog To Tell There Side Of The Story

There is no "silver bullet'' for ending drunken driving.

In fairness to Mr. Burke, we all make stupid mistakes. But like a shot in the dark some of these mistakes are far worse than just stupid: They are tragic.

I almost lost my wife to a drunken driver who was speeding down the wrong side of the road. He totaled our GMC Jimmy and speed off inhis damaged car.

Person''s who cane to the aid of my wife were able to get the license plate of the drunk.

This driver had been arrestted for drunk driving previous to almost killing my wife.

Driving under the influence is one such mistake. But the far greater and deadlier threat is repeat DUI offenders like Mr. Burke. They continue to drive drunk despite previous arrests.

By most estimates, repeat DUI offenders make up about a third of drunk driving arrests. And even though their licenses may be revoked, it is estimated that 50 percent to 75 percent of them still drive, even without a license. A repeat DUI offender's behavior is difficult to change. Many of them have severe alcohol problems.

Yet, our state's efforts to punish or rehabilitate them don't appear to be working. Repeat DUI offenses are commonplace in our state. Unfortunately, many also end in tragedy for the offender or an innocent victim. Recently, one such case in on Sheepshill Road demonstrates just how deadly this "mistake" can be.

Our state lawmakers should draft a bills that are designed to help reduce DUI recidivism by mandating interlock devices for all offenders, introducing staggered sentencing and repeals an expungement provision for offenders to promote accurate record keeping of DUIs.

It is my understanding that Mr. Burkes legal manuvers are designed to manipulate the punishment that is due, because he is a repeat offender.

Expunging these offenses only serves to enable or even encourage repeat offenders to continue driving drunk by reducing their sentences for future DUI offenses.

There are good arguments for expunging conviction of first-offense DUIs after say a dozen years, but if any further DUIs are accumulated at any time in the future the repeat offender's prior cases should be restored to his record and used to extend revocation of licenses or jail time.

Other ideas are also worth debating to get repeat DUI offenders off the road. For example, lowering the blood-alcohol content limit for convicted DUI offenders or creating a state Web site that lists the names, addresses, photos, descriptions of offenders' crimes, etc.

Greenwich Roundup sincerely Hopes That Coach Paul Burke Get Help This Time And That He Swears Off The Alcohol That Has Caused Him So Many Problems

I want to express my outrage over this pending legislative bill regarding state control over the Catholic Church. Luckily, there are some Catholics on our judiciary committee, who feel the same way. Thankfully, it's on hold for now.

I don't belong to St. Catherine's in Greenwich, St. Mary's in Greenwich, or St. John's in Darien. But I have had my fill of dishonest and twisted information from some parishioners, their friends,as well as our local newspapers.

Tom Gallagher and members of VOTF have precipitated a frenzy of unnecessary paranoia. The mismanagement of parish funds in both Darien and in Greenwich are examples of priests abusing their financial responsibilities, and stealing. THAT IS WRONG. However, in both cases, regular people wearing regular clothes WERE AWARE and ACTIVELY COVERING UP the crime. In Greenwich, parishioners quickly gathered up all, but $400,000, to replace what was "mishandled." In fact, the parishioners were happy to do so. They liked Mike Moynihan and tossed thousands his way quite often.

In Darien, the local press sensationalized the St John's story. Joseph Pisani ,who was the dumb ass editor at the time,missed the boat. While he concentrated on the sinful ACTS of homosexual priests, he missed the pertinent facts. I don't condone the actions of homosexual priests. I'd rather not know. I don't care about ANYONE'S SEX LIFE because it has nothing to do with me. As for a dishonest priest who steals money, I want them in jail. But what failed to surface in Joe's lame reporting was that the church bookkeeper and 2 members of the board of finance knew about the missing money. They had been looking the other way for YEARS (and, no, they were not gay).

Now this legislative maneuver will ruin the traditions of the church. It will mock what has been sacred for generations. That is not what any member of any church wants to see happen to THEIR place of worship. It will not keep thieves from stealing.

I suggest these men who pushed for this recent legislative discussion, take a look around first. Maybe listen to the right people. Most of all, stop talking for the entire Catholic Church. You represent yourselves, who are few. You are an embarrassment to the rest of us....Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com or click on the comments link at the end of this post

Bernard Madoff is set this week to plead guilty to orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme. But could we be in line for more guilty pleas before this is all over?The Daily Beast reports:

The Madoff investigation ... has broadened to include a number of suspected co-conspirators, according to federal officials involved in the case.

The Daily Beast story -- written by Lucinda Franks, whose byline identifies her as a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist who was formerly on the staff of the New York Times -- also reports that, according to sources, "several members of Madoff's inner circle transferred assets to their wives, transactions thought to be laundered through an English bank."

There are said to be three groups of possible co-conspirators, who could potentially be charged either criminally by the Justice Department, or civilly by the SEC.

In the first group are employees of Madoff's firm who concocted false trades and sent out phony statements to thousands of unsuspecting clients.

The second group is comprised of principals in feeder funds such as Cohmad Securities Corp. and Fairfield Greenwich Group, which funneled investor dollars to Madoff and received large fees for steering this business. If they were aware of Madoff's fraud, they could face criminal charges; if they were not, they could be hit with civil charges for a lack of due diligence.

The third group is the target of an investigation that's still in its early stages into money laundering through British banks, in which US and British authorities are cooperating. This group consists of solicitors, accountants, and others in London who may have assisted Madoff in transferring funds from client accounts to a Madoff entity that lists Ruth Madoff, brother Peter Madoff, and sons Mark and Andrew Madoff among its board members.

It's not clear from any of this that any specific members of Madoff's family, or his inner circle, are in immediate legal jeopardy.

Prosecutors alleged Tuesday that Mr. Madoff hired numerous employees with "little or no prior pertinent training or experience in the securities industry" and caused them to "communicate with clients and generate false and fraudulent documents."

Its report doesn't go as far as the Daily Beast's. The Journal says it's still unclear whether prosecutors believe these people knew they were involved in a fraudulent scheme, and doesn't explicitly say that the investigation has broadened beyond Madoff himself.

But it's noticeable that the paper does take the time to lay out what's known about the possible involvement in the scheme of five of Madoff's relatives and associates -- including his wife Ruth, who has hired her own lawyer, and his brother Peter, who was the chief compliance officer for Madoff's firm.

With Madoff's guilty plea soon to be safely in the bag, are these reports an indication of where prosecutors are going next?

================================================================

Please send your comments, news tips or press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com or click on the comments link at the end of this post.

Today, the Roman Catholic bishops sponsored a rally at the Connecticut Capitol building in support of church-state separation. They didn’t exactly bill it that way, but that’s what it was.....

......Rep. Michael Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald had introduced the plan after concerns from Catholic constituents about the balance of power between the laity and the church leadership.

“Catholic lay people provide all the funds for the running of the parish, but they have absolutely no executive authority for how those dollars are spent,” Paul Lakelan, director for the Center of Catholic Studies at Fairfield University told the Courant. “That’s a situation that increasing numbers of people are unhappy with.”

A push to reform the governance of the Catholic Church has been a long-time struggle for many Catholics.

“I love the church, but there is a need for reforms,” John Lucarelli told the Courant. Lucarelli is a member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Greenwich, Conn., where a former pastor was forced to resign after an audit showed $400,000 of the diocese’s funds were missing and that he kept two bank accounts a secret.

Lucarelli, who is also active with a group called Catholics for Better Governance, said he tried to convince church leadership to reform itself, but it never happened.

“You keep banging your head against the wall, but you’ve got to stop and try a new tack,” he said.

Church leaders were predictably upset at the possible state intervention into church affairs, and they tried to deflect attention from church financial scandals by bringing up bogus charges of government censorship. Bridgeport Bishop William Lori, on his blog, said this bill was “a thinly veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on important issues of day, such as same-sex marriage.”

That’s absurd. The proposed legislation, however misguided, was intended to prevent clerical misuse of church funds. It had nothing to do with the hierarchy’s ability to speak out on public issues.......

Its promoting my new book Looking Good Feeling Great Ladies 50 and Over. Packed full of suggestions and options to make daily life fabulous.

Also attached is the cover of my book which you may or may not want to publish.

Thank you for taking the time to read it.

Kind RegardsNina Bagnall

Looking Good Feeling Great Ladies 50 and Over

Ladies, when we reach our fifties we need to be more self aware.The appearance of a lot of women when they reach their middle forties seems to change. Inexplicably they, with gusto I might add, suddenly begin to look older.

It might have something to do with how our bodies start to change and it gets to be more of a chore to keep that stomach flat, hips thin and bottoms pert. Does this sound familiar? “I don’t care anymore, I just want to eat and drink what I want and not worry about my figure.”

Our bodies are a miracle, of which we should all be very proud. It’s not just for the young to be thinking of their hair, figure, and what they eat.

This practise should be carried through no matter what age we have reached.Never should looking after your self be an “afterthought,” as it often comes to be later in life.

Its time, ladies, to bring this afterthought to the forefront of your life and to prioritize your day by setting aside time in the morning and evening for the body, mind and soul.

I believe in moderation. The body has to have balance; otherwise it becomes out of sync.

Do you feel lethargic? Depressed? Overweight? Bloated? Have low self esteem? Suffer from sleep loss? Want that figure back you thought had gone forever?

Make sure you eat the correct type of foods that give you the vitamins and minerals necessary for your body to function. Calcium is as important now as it has been throughout you life. Now more than ever could you find yourself susceptible to osteoporosis?

Drink lots of water during the day to stop dehydration.It’s a must to do daily exercise.

GREENWICH Conn.-- Investors hold strongly negative views toward the rating agencies and the SEC and expect the current market malaise to continue throughout the remainder of this year and into next, according to the latest survey conducted by the Greenwich Roundtable and Quinnipiac University. The survey is designed to capture the trust and confidence that private and institutional investors have in the alternative investment community in light of the recent credit crisis and market turmoil.

According to the survey, investor trust and confidence toward both the regulatory agencies and alternative investments has been shaken. Confidence is low and a minimum of a six- to 12-month period of stability will be required to bring investors back into the markets. "Leverage, liquidity, and lack of confidence are still keeping the sophisticated investor on the sidelines," said Steve McMenamin, Executive Director of the Greenwich Roundtable. "We have never seen so many rational, cool-headed limited partners refrain from making future commitments to alternatives."

"The credit crisis underscores the need for a return to basic investing fundamentals," said Dr. Matthew O'Connor, Professor of Finance at Quinnipiac University. "There is the need to understand and remember the importance that the role of real liquidity, real leverage, diversification, and due diligence plays in portfolio construction."

The findings of the current Quinnipiac University-Greenwich Roundtable survey relate to the following investor issues: asset allocation, gates, Madoff and the regulatory agencies. Specifically they include:

Asset Allocation and Market Outlook

Over the past quarter, more than a third of participants signaled that they had lowered their allocations to alternative investments while fifty-four percent of participants are keeping their allocations constant.

Close to fifty percent of respondents believed that asset prices will need to stabilize for a period of six months to a year before investors return to the markets.

Thirty percent of managers felt it will take a year or longer for market conditions to improve.

Gates

A third of participants said that between 10% and 40% of managers are raising gates or suspending redemptions.

Close to one-quarter of managers indicated dissatisfaction with current fund gate structure.About ten percent of investors felt that gates were being abused

Madoff

Approximately forty-five percent of members felt that better oversight by the SEC could have prevented the fraud.

More than twenty-eight percent of respondents believed that any due diligence should have raised enough red flags to preclude investing.

Twenty-two percent of investors said that verification by auditors could have prevented the Madoff scandal.

Regulatory Agencies

More than seventy-two percent of members voiced a negative view of the SEC.

Ninety-seven percent of respondents believed the rating agencies as ineffective.

Close to fifty percent of investors had a positive view of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

About forty-seven percent of participants had a positive view of the Federal Reserve Board.

The Greenwich Roundtable and Quinnipiac University surveyed 89 private and institutional investors from January 26 to February 6, 2009. Investors included fund of funds, family offices, pension funds and consultants. The organizations plan to repeat their joint survey of sophisticated investor attitudes toward alternative investments every two months. The next survey is expected to be released in late May. A copy of the survey and results can be obtained by contacting Toni Robinson, Chief Operating Officer, Greenwich Roundtable.

About the Greenwich Roundtable:

The Greenwich Roundtable is a not-for-profit research and educational organization located in Greenwich, Connecticut, for investors who allocate capital to alternative investments. Its members collectively represent more than $6.4 trillion in assets under management. It is operated in the spirit of an intellectual cooperative for the alternative investment community to discuss and provide current, cutting edge information on alternative investing.

About Quinnipiac University:

Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls 5,600 full-time undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students in 51 undergraduate and 19 graduate programs of study in its School of Business, School of Communications, School of Education, School of Health Sciences, School of Law, College of Arts and Sciences and College of Professional Studies. Quinnipiac consistently ranks among the top universities with master's programs in the Northern region in U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges. The 2009 issue of U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Colleges named Quinnipiac as the top up-and-coming school with master's programs in the North. Quinnipiac also is recognized in Princeton Review's The Best 368 Colleges. For more information, please visit http://www.quinnipiac.edu/.

You need a plan to deal with the stress ofthe market, psychiatrist and trading coach Ari Kiev, M.D. told investors at arecent gathering of the Greenwich Roundtable, a non-profit research andeducational organization for investors who allocate capital to alternativeinvestments.

Kiev, president of Kiev Consulting, coaches institutional traders andportfolio managers and works with prominent hedge funds. He participated in apanel discussion on Psychology of the Markets: Lessons from the Fall.

"Experienced traders detach themselves from emotional responses. The leastsuccessful people stay wedded to their ideas and not to market forces," hesaid. "To deal with stress, you need a plan and you need to work on thatplan."

Kiev said that training beforehand helps focus in stressful situations.

"The pilot who landed in the Hudson River trained all his life for thatmoment. When it came, he had three seconds to make a decision that saved allaboard," he said. "In stressful times, you don't have time to starttraining."

Kiev also advised investors that they should assess the management styles ofprospective fund managers, not just their investment strategies.

"The hedge fund world is filled with people skilled at choosing stocks. Butthey're not necessarily skilled at managing," he said. "You have to considerthis when investing with a manager."

Kiev, who has lectured worldwide on the psychology of trading, is the authorof more than 20 books. His recent works, both published by John Wiley & Sons,are Mastering Trading Stress: Strategies for Maximizing Performance and HedgeFund Leadership: How to Inspire Peak Performance from Traders and MoneyManagers. His Web site is www.arikiev.com.

Just A Little Over A Half An Hour Ago Three Backdated News Stories Appeared On The Greenwich Time In An Effort To Counter Media Criticism About The Website Not Covering Local Stories In A Timely Manner

This Is Clearly A Violation Of Hearst Newspapers Journalistic Standards

No One In Greenwich Saw These Stories On The Greenwich Time Until They Appeared As The Lead Story On The Home Page A Little Bit After 8:45 This Morning With Backdated Posting Times That Made It Appear That The Stories Had Been On The Home Page Since early Yesterday Afternoon .

If You Go To The Greenwich Time's Most Emailed RSS Feed You Don't See That Any Greenwich Time Readers Saw Were Emailing These Important And Controversial News Stories That Just Appeared A Little Over Half of An Hour Ago.

In fact, If You Click On The Top Photo Above You Will See That Google News Caught Hearst Newspapers Posting Backdated Articles About 33 Minutes Ago.

Click On The Google News Photo To Enlarge To A Full Screen Shot And Note The Time In The Lower Right Hand Corner Of The Screen.

Please Note On The Right Hand Of The Screen The Most Viewed Feature Clearly Showing That Important And Controversial Stories Were Not Seen Even Though One Of The Stories Features Video.

Later Today These Stories And Video Will Probably Be The Most Viewed And Emailed Stories At The Greenwich Time.

As You Read These Three Stories Please Note The Back Dated Posting Times And Ask Your Self If Hearst Newspaper Managing Editor Bruce Hunter Will Allow His Staff To Cover Up And Lie About Posting Times, Then What Else Is The Greenwich Time Covering Up And Lying About

It Just Goes To Show That Greenwich Residents Can't Trust Greenwich Time Managing Editor Bruce Hunter And The Billion Dollar Hearst Corporation To Tell The Truth About What Is Going On In Greenwich.

HARTFORD -- Tom Gallagher, a resident of the Riverside section of Greenwich, is the son of a former Catholic schools superintendent who attended law school at the Catholic University of America, worked for the late Mother Teresa's religious order and is a long-time Eucharistic minister at Greenwich Hospital.

He also has met two Popes -- John Paul II in 2001 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

So it's safe to say it would take a lot to keep Gallagher from attending Sunday Mass at his parish, St. Catherine of Siena

HARTFORD -- The Democratic co-chairmen of the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee on Tuesday abruptly killed a controversial bill that would give Catholic parishioners more power on their local church boards.

Just before noon, the lawmakers canceled Wednesday's public hearing on the controversial change to the state law on the way Roman Catholic churches are run. They said the bill is dead for this year.

News of the cancellation -- and the termination of the proposed legislation for this legislative session -- emerged in the middle of a noon news conference of minority Republican lawmakers, who claimed the bill was unconstitutional.

BRIDGEPORT -- It makes no difference to the state's Roman Catholics that lawmakers are yanking a controversial bill that they assert unconstitutionally meddles with their right to manage how their churches are run. Bishop William Lori vowed Tuesday afternoon to bring thousands to the Capitol to protest legislators' attempt at introducing a proposal that singles out their religion.

At a press conference inside the Catholic Center, the diocese seat of power for the 87 parishes it represents, Lori told reporters the church will send between 11 and 14 buses to the Capitol Wednesday to make a statement to state lawmakers.

NO ONE SAW THESE NEWS STORIES AND THE VIDEO AT THE FRAUDULENT GREENWICH TIME YESTERDAY, BECAUSE IT WASN'T THERE UNTIL A LITTLE OVER A HALF AN HOUR AGO

But Why Would Thin Skeined Greenwich Time Managing Editor Bruce Hunter Allow His Staff To Lie To The Greenwich Reading Public?

Because, Bruce Hunter Can't Take The Heat And He Needs To Get Out Of The Greenwich Time Kitchen

Day After Day Greenwich Roundup And The Greenwich Have Been Scooping The lackluster Greenwich Time's Rookie News Staff

A controversial bill that would change the way the Catholic church governs itself has been pulled and a public hearing planned Wednesday on the issue postponed until the measure's constitutionality can be determined.

Despite the postponement, the Catholic Church is going forward with plans to rally at the Capitol. Hundreds of people, many of whom where angry about what they view as the state's inappropriate and perhaps unconstitutional incursion into church affair, were expected at the hearing.

"We are pleased that the hearing was postponed, we are concerned that the bill is very much alive," said Joseph McAleer, spokesman for the diocese of Bridgeport. "The troops are mobilized...we're as committed as ever."At a press conference this morning at the legislative office building,

Tom Gallagher of Greenwich, who has long advocated that lay people be given greater responsibilities within the church, said he has asked Rep. Michael Lawlor and Sen. Andrew McDonald, co-chairmen of the legislature's judiciary committee, to put off the hearing until Attorney GeneralRichard Blumenthalhas reviewed the matter. .......

The proposed bill, which would take power from Catholic priests and bishops and turn it over to parishioners, sparked an angry reaction from church leaders, who questioned lawmakers motives. The bill would create lay councils of seven to 13 people to oversee the finances of local parishes, relegating Catholic pastors and bishops to an advisory role.....

In Greenwich, the Rev. Michael Moynihan resigned in January 2007 from St. Michael the Archangel Church after a preliminary audit uncovered $500,000 in spending the church couldn't account for amid what Lori said at the least represented "badly tangled" financial records.

A Greenwich teacher is waiting to hear if he’s the top teacher in the country.

Anthony Mullen, who teaches ninth through twelfth grade Special Education at ARCH school in Greenwich, is one of four finalists.

Since 2002, he has worked at ARCH school, an alternative high school for Greenwich students. Mullen is credited with introducing some new courses to the school including forensics, electronics, carpentry and horticulture.

Teaching is a second career for Mullen. For 20 years, he served the New York Police Department, never forgetting his dream to teach.

Mullen parents wanted their son to be the first generation go to college. Growing up, he was reminded of that daily by a small metal trashcan in his bedroom that was emblazoned with college emblem, he wrote in his award application.

Mullen’s parents died when he was young, so instead of college, he went to work in a factory.

“The monotony of standing along an assembly line provided much time for self-reflection. I wanted to become a teacher but could not afford to attend college. I needed a better paying job so I applied for the many "good union jobs" NYC offered to hard-working people with few skills and a high school diploma,” he wrote.

So, he wound up in the New York Police Department, where he served 20 years in the NYPD, rising from the rank of police officer to captain. In the department, he worked with troubled teenagers who were destined for prison unless they received the a good education and positive adult role models, he said.

“But I never forgot my desire and obligation to be the first in my family to receive a college education and to become a teacher,” he wrote. He attended Long Island University and got his degree.

Mullen obtained his master’s degree in education and retired from the police department, to go on to teach and mentor teenagers who needed a second chance, he said.

As a teacher, Mullen sought positions to work with students with severe behavioral or emotional problems.

He establishes rapport with students who have not been able to develop relationships with other adults in school and in many cases, at home as well. He commands such respect in the classroom that student exhibit few, if any, behavioral issues,” Sharon Turshen, assistant director of pupil personnel services, wrote in a recommendation for him.. “The students Mr. Mullen teachers will not have the highest grade point average or SAT scores, but he has inspired them to remain in school until graduation, deal with personal issues and pursue post-secondary goals.”

Mullen is Connecticut’s 2009 top teacher. He wrote in his application for national teacher of the year that a teacher can receive no greater reward than the knowledge that he or she helped recover a lost student.

Mullen is Connecticut’s 2009 top teacher. He wrote in his application for national teacher of the year that a teacher can receive no greater reward than the knowledge that he or she helped recover a lost student.

Mullen is up against California’s teacher of the year, Alex Kajitani; Colorado’s teacher of the year, Susan Elliott; and North Carolina’s teacher of the year, Cynthia Cole Rigsbee.

The National Teacher of the Year Program began in 1952 and is the oldest most prestigious national honors program that focuses attention on excellence in teaching.

After the Council of Chief State Schools Officers makes its decision on the teacher of the year. That person will be introduced during a White House ceremony at the end of April.

================================================================Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com or click on the comments link at the end of this post.

....The dismissals will come on top of the 10,000 jobs that disappeared last year at the investment partnerships, according to estimates by New York-based Options Group, an executive-search firm. Employment peaked at 155,000 in 2007, and has since dropped to about 145,000, the firm said.....

....About 920 hedge funds, or 12%, closed last year, according to data compiled by Chicago-based Hedge Fund Research Inc. Of the 6,800 single-manager funds that remain, 70% lost money in 2008, meaning they can't resume collecting performance fees until the losses are recouped. Those fees, generally 20% of investment profits, are the primary source of cash used to pay bonuses.

Hedge funds fell an average of 0.51% in February and 0.59% so far this year, less than the declines in stocks and bonds, according to HFR. HFR's Fund Weighted Composite Index dropped 19% last year, the biggest decline since the Chicago-based firm began tracking data in 1990.

Hedge funds eliminated about 6.5% of jobs last year, when client assets fell 37% to $1.2 trillion from their peak in June, according to Hedge Fund Research. Banks and brokers have fired more than 272,450 workers, or 5.9% of their payrolls, since mid-2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.....

....Steve Cohen's SAC Capital Advisors LP, based in Stamford, Connecticut, cut 100 people, or 13% of its staff. The reductions included fixed-income traders as Cohen, 52, scaled back bond investing in favor of trading stocks. He manages $12b......

.....There are some pockets of hiring, recruiters said.

Higdon Partners this year helped Breeden Capital Management LLC find a portfolio manager in London for its European stock fund. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based firm is run by Richard Breeden, former head of the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Higdon also worked with New York-based Cantillon Capital Management LLC, founded by William von Mueffling, to hire a sales and marketing executive.

"Some funds are looking for investment people, maybe better analysts or portfolio managers," said Higdon. There's also a limited demand for distressed-debt managers, risk specialists, and marketing and sales people to help replace assets that were lost last year......

....Hedge funds are also taking a longer time to fill the few positions they have, recruiters said.

"The hiring process is turning back to the 1990s, when candidates had 15 to 30 interviews before being hired," said Michael Karp, chief executive officer of Options Group. .....

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Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com or click on the comments link at the end of this post.

Greenwich shoplifter gets 9 months in prisonStamford Advocate By Monica Potts STAMFORD -- A Greenwich man who has a history of shoplifting was sentenced Tuesday to nine months in prison after a jury found him guilty of ...

Weigh station proposal draws criticismStamford AdvocateBy Neil Vigdor GREENWICH -- A cost-cutting proposal to replace state police troopers at the Greenwich weigh station with state Department of Motor Vehicles ...

Telling their storyTelling their story Chuck Livingston, Chuck Standard, and Lee Davenport of the Greenwich Retired Men's Association recently spoke to more than 200 students at Greenwich High School about their experiences during World War II. Full Story

After weeks of collecting film clips of honey bee colonies and newsreels on rising food prices and then interviewing leading scientists in the field on colony collapse disorder, Greenwich High School seniors Eliza McNitt and Charles Greene felt ready to complete their documentary for C-SPAN. Full Story

HARTFORD -- With support from Gov. M. Jodi Rell, the legislature's banks committee Tuesday passed legislation requiring mandatory participation in the state's new foreclosure mediation program. Full Story

What's Brewing: A toast to MunichGerman city whose name means "little monks." The Dominicans, Franciscans, Paulaners and Augustinians in Munich itself, and orders such as the Carmelites who settled outside the city, carried on a rich tradition of beer-making whose joys are especially celebrated during the Lenten season, as late winter turns to spring. Full Story

Towns receive homeland security fundingNearly $1 million in federal Department of Homeland Security grants approved for Fairfield County will pay for shelters for pets, mobile emergency kitchens, evacuation plans and other equipment and safety initiatives, officials said. Full Story

With a desire to address the town budgetary shortfalls and avoid more layoffs, the Representative Town Meeting approved the retirement incentive package Monday night. Full Story

Networking stressed during downturnJeff Roberts likes to talk, particularly when he's telling people about his business. The Stamford resident, sole employee of The Roberts Group, a real estate firm focusing on pre-owned residential property, spends a lot of his time talking business and attending networking sessions with the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, The Soundview Club and the Stamford chapter of Business Network International, exchanging business cards and leads. Full Story

Greenwich to offer lead testingTown health officials are offering free lead testing to day-care centers, a move that follows a new state requirement that every child under the age of 3 get screened for lead poisoning. Full Story

New board members United Way of Greenwich welcomed six new directors at its annual meeting Jan. 22. Frederic Brooks is a member of the Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission and Nathaniel Witherell's Building Committee. Full Story

Morris Plains, N.J. – Weichert, Realtors regional vice president Margaret "Peggy" Doepper was recently honored by the Greenwich YWCA with the BRAVA Award. The award recognizes women who have achieved excellence in their profession while also demonstrating a commitment to serve the community.

In addition to her work in the real estate industry, Doepper has always been an active supporter of her local community. In the past, she has served as vice chair of the board of directors for the Stamford Red Cross, was a committee member for Project ALS and a featured speaker for Dress for Success Worldwide.

"Peggy has a long track record of success both within the workplace and the community," said Jacelyn Botti, head of residential sales for Weichert, Realtors. "We are extremely proud of the contributions she has made in the greater Greenwich area."

Doepper was honored, along with the other 2009 BRAVA Award winners, at a luncheon held at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich last month.

"Receiving an award from a worthy organization such as the YMCA is a humbling and gratifying experience. Giving back to the community has always been something I felt was a 'must-do' not a 'nice-to-do' so I have approached it with the same determination and purpose that I have my career," said Doepper.

Weichert has nearly 18,000 sales associates in approximately 500 company-owned and franchised sales offices in key markets throughout the U.S. A family of full-service real estate and financial services companies, Weichert helps customers buy and sell both residential and commercial real estate, and streamlines the delivery of mortgages and home and title insurance.

State Sen. Andrew McDonald and Rep. Michael Lawlor were not trying to drive Roman Catholics back to the catacombs, pull a "fascist stunt" (as one critic said) or muzzle the church on gay marriage or birth control.

They actually were trying to help rank-and-file Catholics.But the way they went about it was ill-advised.

They are wisely choosing another tack.

Mr. McDonald and Mr. Lawlor, co-chairmen of the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee, recently introduced a bill that would take administrative and fiscal power away from priests and bishops and give it to parishioners.

They said they offered the bill at the request of constituents who were upset by cases of financial impropriety at Fairfield County churches......

Fiscal oversight is clearly a concern at some Catholic churches. A priest began serving a three-year prison sentence last fall for stealing $1.3 million from a Darien parish to bankroll a Florida condo and other lavish amenities.

A pastor in Greenwich resigned in 2007 after an audit could not account for $400,000 in parish funds.

A survey by researchers at Villanova University released in 2007 found that 85 percent of Roman Catholic dioceses that responded had discovered embezzlement of church money in the past five years, with 11 percent reporting that more than $500,000 had been stolen.

But to what level is this a problem for the state? Christ told his followers to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. But is there an obligation to open the books, too?.....

.....Trying to have such a dialogue in the current contentious atmosphere, however, is unlikely. Many Catholics, including some clerics, have been less than charitable in their responses to what was at least a well-intended idea from Mr. McDonald and Mr. Lawlor......

Does Bishop Lori Really Think That Jesus Wants Him To Be Secretive With The Lords Money?

All Too Often Bishop Lori Has Allowed Funds

That Should Be Helping The Poor

Go To Providing Priests With

Lifestyles Of The Rich And Infamous?

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